Closure

Claim 1

A DUST RESISTANT REEL-CLOSURE COMBINATION INCLUDING A REEL HAVING A HUB WITH A CONTINUOUS RIM AND TWO SPACED PARALLEL CIRCULAR SOLID SIDE FLANGES, AND A REEL CLOSURE MEMBER COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE BAND WRAPPED COAXIALLY AROUND THE REEL BRIDGING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FLANGE EDGES AND HAVING CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVES ON ITS RADIALLY INNER SURFACE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE FLANGE EDGES, THE WRAPPED BAND HAVING TWO ADJOINING ENDS, ONE END REDUCED IN SIZE TO FORM A CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING TONGUE BRIDGING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE FLANG EDGES AND TELESCOPED IN A CORRESPONDING RECESS IN THE OTHER BAND END, THE RADIALLY INNER SURFACE OF THE TONGUE BEING GROOVED TO RECEIVE THE FLANGE EDGES, AND LATCHING MEANS ADAPTED TO BE MOLDED INTEGRALLY WITH THE FLEXIBLE BAND INCLUDING A LEVER AND FULCRUM ON ONE OF SAID BAND ENDS, THE LEVER OVERLAPPING THE SECOND OF SAID BAND ENDS, COOPERATING DETENT MEANS ON THE RADIALLY INNER SURFACE OF THE OVERLAPPING PORTION OF SAID LEVER AND ON THE RADIALLY OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SECOND BAND END, THE DETENT MEANS ON SAID RADIALLY OUTER SURFACE COMPRISING A SERIES OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RATCHET TEETH TO PERMIT ADJUSTMENT OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE WRAPPED BAND, MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID COOPERATING DETENT MEANS IN ENGAGEMENT, AND MEANS FOR PIVOTING THE LEVER ABOUT THE FULCRUM TO DISENGAGE THE DETENT MEANS AND PERMIT REMOVAL OF THE BAND FROM THE REEL, THE RATCHET TEETH BEING ORIENTED TO PERMIT SHORTENING THE REEL CIRCUMFERENCE BY SLIDING THE LEVER OVER THE TEETH, BUT TO PREVENT LENGTHENING THE REEL CIRCUMFERENCE WITHOUT DIS-ENGAGEMENT OF THE DETENT MEANS.